The Proposition
by chimera88
Summary: Bulma decides to set things straight with Vegeta. She comes up with a proposition, which may end their relationship once and for all. Set after the fight with Buu. ONE SHOT


**A/N: Hello, once again! I'm back with a one-shot story. This was something just popped in my head. I've been inspired by so much stuff lately, i.e. V/B fanfiction, artwork, songs, etc.**

**You may (or may not) have noticed that I took down "The Answer." Not to worry, it will be back up soon. I didn't like the direction I was going. I'm slowly letting all those ideas of mine take time to develop, so I can give you all a great new fanfiction. I'm back in college, but that's not stopping me from writing. If anything, it's actually giving many new ideas.**

**Besides "The Answer," there's a Yamcha/Bulma one-shot coming up that was inspired by song. (Yes, I will include the song lyrics in the fic.) Shocking, I know, but it's not a romantic one. It's more of a "coming to terms with the end of this relationship" type. It's going to be all in Bulma's POV. I'm pretty excited about it. I hope you like it when you read it.**

**Like I said, "The Answer" will be back. I'm just revising. I'm going to keep the first chapter, but will be changing the direction of how the story was going. Same concept, different direction.**

**I hope you enjoy this one-shot and please review! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters mentioned here. **

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><p><strong>"The Proposition"<strong>

It was past midnight, and there was no sign of him. She couldn't handle it anymore.

The cravings for a cigarette had increased with her nervousness. She knew very well that he hated the taste of cigarettes in her mouth when he kissed her, but she doubted he would come tonight, so she took out a pack, and began to take out the long cigarette. She put it to her lips and took out the lighter. She was about to light her cigarette when the lighter exploded in her hand.

Bulma screamed, and she could feel the stinging sensation on hand. She had burns on her palm and on her fingers. She knew very well who it was who caused this.

"You jerk!"

She turned to see him standing, in his usual posture, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed and looking away. He said nothing and kept staring to his left.

This incident of lighters exploding was a recurring one in their household. She knew he hated the smell of cigarettes, so he did what was possible to avoid her smoking one. She didn't care how much it irritated him. If he had accepted her, he would have to accept her cigarette smoking.

She stared at him with narrowing eyes. While she did so, she thought so much about him. Especially, how these past days, she had seen different sides of him. She had heard Goku recounting the details of what went on during the final battle with Buu. Shortly after Vegeta's death, Piccolo and Krillin had told her that Vegeta had sacrificed his life for the sake of the family.

Yet, in the back of her mind, she couldn't understand why he had killed so many people hours before. She needed an explanation, so here she was, on the balcony outside their bedroom, waiting for him. Bulma knew that he probably wouldn't want to talk about, but she wanted to at least try to get him to talk. Besides, there had been times where he would reveal a small piece of himself to her, as if to show her she was the only one she truly trusted.

"You know how much I hate it when you do that!"

"And you know how much I hate those disgusting things!"

He turned to look at her, and she could see the light beaming in his eyes.

"We need to talk,"she said, seriously.

"I don't understand what the point of talking is. You were already informed of what happened."

"I have a proposition to make."

"A proposition?"

"Yes, but first, I need to an explanation from you."

"An explanation? Of what?"

"Of what you did that day at the tournament. Of all those people you killed. Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to go back to the way I was before I came here. Part of me hated myself for becoming who I am now," he paused. "It was a moment of weakness, nothing more."

Bulma now approached him, wanting to look at him eye-to-eye. "Don't you understand how much it hurt me to see you like that? I truly believed that you had changed. Then, I saw that evil smile on your face. How could you? That second blast of yours almost hit me! At that moment..." She stopped for a moment, and when she spoke the next phrase, her voice trembled and tears began to form in her eyes. "I truly doubted your love for me..."

Vegeta was surprised to hear this. As dark as it was, he could see the moonlight illuminate the pain she felt as she spoke in her eyes. Something inside him ached just to see her like this. He didn't think his selfishness could have affected her in such way. There was nothing he could say, except to explain his actions once more:

"Like I said, it was-"

She placed one hand on his mouth; she wasn't finished speaking. "Then, as we searched for the dragon balls, I felt a terrible pain in my heart. I immediately knew something had happened to you. It was until Goku told us that you had died that I knew what that pain was. This..." her voice began to tremble once more and this time, she could not hold back the tears. "This pain was much greater. My heart broke. I felt lost; I mean I didn't know what I was going to do without you.

And then, Piccolo and Krillin told us that you had sacrificed yourself for the sake of the Earth. I was delighted to hear that. It meant to me that the man I knew and loved wasn't that same man that I saw at the tournament. But now..."

She had now moved her hand from his mouth to his cheek. She thought of what she was going to say next as she stared at those dark eyes; eyes that she had seen show throughout the years different sides of him, that had made him a stranger and familiar all at once.

He did not speak, clinging to every word that she said. He stared back at her eyes; there were times where she would act one way, but he could always tell what she was truly feeling by looking at her eyes. At this moment, he could see nothing but sadness, and he could feel that ache inside him grow.

She again began to speak, "I've thought about this long and hard, and I've come up with a decision. Before I tell you what my proposition is, answer me this: Are you happy with this life you now have alongside me and our son?"

He didn't understand what this was leading to. "Why? What does it matter?"

"I want to know..."

He began to grow a little frustrated. Frustrated that he had let this conversation to go on, that he had let himself see her pain, which made him hurt even more.

"I'm tired. I want to go to bed," he finally said.

Even when he said that, he did not budge. Neither did she, especially since she was waiting for his answer. She finally gave up, knowing he wasn't going to speak.

"Here's my proposition: If you're not happy with the life you have now, you are free to leave. You can go and live your life elsewhere. Be who you want to be, if that means going back to your old ways. And if it means that I must lose you, so be it. I don't want to keep you by my side if you're not happy."

She began to move her hand away from his cheek and moved her face away from him.

He caught her wrist in his hand, "Bulma..."

She turned to face him with the tears running down her cheeks, "Please let me go. There's no point..."

"Bulma," he spoke softly, "listen carefully to what I have to say." He thought of apologizing, but he was too proud for that. She knew him well and knew that he wasn't the kind to apologize. He spoke his words carefully, "I don't want to go back to the way I was. You know very well that the way I was was a result of my upbringing by Freeza. You and our son have shown me that life on Earth isn't bad after all. I am to say here, with you, with our son."

He let go of her wrist and began to walk toward the sliding door of their bedroom, but before he could enter, he could feel her arms around his waist. "Woman," he knew when he called her that, it would annoy her, "I don't have time for-"

He could feel her lips kiss him on the cheek, and the she whispered, "Thank you. You don't know how happy this makes me."

He looked away, making sure she wouldn't see him blushing. He hated that she had such control over him. No matter how hard he tried, he could never stop blushing when she was affectionate towards him.

Bulma removed her arms from his waist and was beginning to go inside, but as she did, Vegeta grabbed her arm, and pulled her close to him by wrapping the other arm around her waist. He kissed her softly on the neck and said, "Don't think you'll get rid of me that easily."

He let her go and went inside.

Yes, he could go back to the way he was. A perfect warrior who wouldn't let himself be overcome by what he called foolish emotions. He could get away from Earth, conquer planets, and have all the riches in the universe, but he wouldn't be happy. No, he needed her and their son in his life.

They were his family, his life, his happiness.


End file.
